Just days after being traded from Boston to Chicago in the deal that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics, Anfernee Simons came back to TD Garden on Wednesday as a visiting player.
Prior to the game, the veteran guard spoke positively about his short time with Boston, saying he could “for sure” envision himself coming back to the organization later in his career if the chance presents itself (Twitter video link via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media).
Simons also said he understood the reasoning behind the move, calling Vucevic a “great player” and noting that the veteran big man adds valuable floor spacing to Boston’s frontcourt.
On the court, head coach Joe Mazzulla adjusted the Celtics’ rotation after experimenting with a double-big starting lineup featuring Neemias Queta and Luka Garza in the three games following the Simons trade.
As MassLive’s Brian Robb reports, Mazzulla shifted Garza back to a bench role on Wednesday, a change that helped improve Boston’s offensive rhythm.
However, the adjustment limited Garza to just seven minutes, his lowest playing time in a game since early December, and could signal a reduced role moving forward, especially with Vucevic expected to claim a significant share of the frontcourt minutes.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Vucevic, Simons, Garza, Queta https://t.co/YpUmh5MHdS pic.twitter.com/eWCNJfx69T
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 13, 2026
